Review: Portnoy's Complaint - by Philip Roth

Portnoy's Complaint - by Philip Roth

Equal parts farcical sexual romp and thinly veiled critique of modern religion and Judaism in particular, this book keeps you on your toes! I can see that it would have been quite fringe when it was released in 1967, or at least made the author 'brave' as some reviews state. Of course, Philip Roth is a well known scribe and his works are highly regarded, so it is with interest that I see the comical depravity that is strutted on display here, perhaps in oposition (or in service?) to his careful and close readers, critics and fans.

Either way, Alex Portnoy is not a character I will soon forget - a boy then man who follows his impulses to the extreme but regrets every minute of it. A character who grew A character who grew more unlikable over the course of the text, and then in the last few pages instead of meeting with redemption really goes off the deep end and doubles-down on his poor life decisions. One of those books that, hopefully, lets the reader feel a little better about their own trajectory.